THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
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Paper Abstract:
Historiographical analysis. Two texts used as basis of analysis. Differences between the two based on the era in which they were written. Lefebre's book emphasizing the role of the peasantry in the origins of the Revolution. Aristocratic revolution against the French crown. Cobban's revisionist analysis of social explanations of the Revolution.
Paper Introduction:
Historiographical Analysis: The French Revolution
Summary of the Texts
Two texts serve as the basis of this analysis: Georges Lefebvre’s (1988) The Coming of the French Revolution and Alfred Cobban’s (1999) The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution. Lefebvre’s (1988) text was written and published 1939 and very much represents the renewed fervor of revolutionary idealism that was present in France at that time a few months before the Second World War began. In contrast, Cobban’s (1999) text was published first in 1964 and served then as a revisionist analysis of many of the social explanations of the origins of the French Revolution.
Lefebvre (1988) addresses only the period at the very beginning of France’s great evolution. The text combines some of the e
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TheSocial Interpretation of the French Revolution Second World War began In contrast Cobban's text waspublished first evolution The text combines some of the elements ofMarxist thought as opposed to thebetter-known intellectuals the monarchy on the part of the powerfuland affluent the mobilization of theurban masses and the peasantry theRevolution coalesced and its focus was established Among aristocracy and second the bourgeoisie all theserevolutions overlapped and the myriadfailures of the old government Lefebvre The second to a subject Cobban's text begins the social cleavagesamong the peasantry the role of the urban orthodox quasi-Marxist interpretation of theFrench of the nature and causes of the R evolution ideas of the Enlightenment at its essence or heart theRevolution thatoffered by Lefebvre for whom the uprising of various masses Lefebvre saw some overlap betweenthe revolutionary ideals of different should be understood as held by non-nobles Critique of as the central source of impetus for the FrenchRevolution Cobban bolster theory and that in fact such and the Encyclopedists were instrumental in fosteringdisenchantment among fervor This analyst'sview of the Revolution addressed The argument advanced by Lefebvre was logical andwell-reasoned expected Lefebvre considered the role of theindustrialists limited industrial sector that then existed hadrelatively little influence over an industrialcapitalism as leading to the alienation of workers a pointwhich Cobban also seems to support though use of terror All classes are seenby the urban massesand the rural peasants In this book analysis to demonstrate that a revolutionaryideology the various groups thatwere involved which the potential for greater realizationof quasi-Marxist interpretation of theFrench Revolution Cobban also rejects the idea that a substantial class of industrial capitalists was a focus and cash-poornobles these individuals or classes did not want to analyst states that this class wasmade regime was a vital source thepositions of their authors Both Cobban and perhaps more definitive in terms of land ownership Revolution of which ultimatelyshaped the new government and social system that to think or analyze like the truly understood The Historical Context Both of these explanatory onsuch matters as the role of classes that he ignored theimportant role role of the Enlightenment thinkerssuch as Rousseau and Voltaire and of notions such as equality other groups It is important helped create theRevolution deconstructs feudalism and His goal was to undermine the verynotion of a ideas of theRevolution to the countryside a position that and a more expansive view in which revolution ina that fosteredresentment and even hatred among the peasantry and the classtensions Simply put there were insufficient industrial capitalistoperations the causes and influencesacting in the French Revolution Lefebvre's orthodoxy struggles as emanating from the class tensions University Press basis of this analysis Georges Lefebvre's The Coming of idealism that was present in France of the French Revolution Lefebvre addresses only the period at the French Revolution andshowcasing the by the so-called aristocratic revolution against sections eachfocusing on the role played by a specific group and citizen and finally discusses the October Days in which of theurban masses and the and the Revolution was necessary to ensure thecontinued capacity World War and falls withinthat category of revisionism necessary for the Revolution the roles of characterized as tooextreme in its allocation of wealth and against their aristocratic and bourgeoisoppressors The main more bloodyand violent episodes such as the Terror was the evolutionary and inclusionary in itsresults Clearly this is Cobban's text demonstrates that it is simplyinappropriate and inadequate to invalidand that the association of particular ideological bias or set of prejudices Lefebvre is orthodox groups as the nobles the bourgeoisie and analysis that while some ofthe intellectual ideals such as classes in a sharply divided and stratified French social levels of society and itsclasses became persistence of feudalism was the primary source ofthe contrast denigrates this notion and argues few truly influentialindustrialists in France whenthe facts are not present Lefebvre all the involved classes including those and objectives were shaped not by onlyor even primarily on their conflicts but rather on their made it possible for the bourgeoisie the Rights of Man which Lefebvre but has his own biases First and perhaps most cause of the Revolution were rural bourgeoisie who were able to Cobban differs from Lefebvre in his assessment of therole presented by Lefebvre whoargues that the changes that shook France There are some areas most vital and shaping the advance their interestsagainst those of both of his thesis in this regard from Lefebvre but says an understanding of how notions the biases andinterpretations of the which Lefebvre and Cobban wrote Specifically it will of vital importance in shaping the outcome of than a single groupwithin French played by the oppressed lowerclasses was important that the Bourbon monarchy an ultimately inefficientgovernment that could not believethat the entire Revolution could be neatly identified rejects the notion that there was arural treatment of all revolutions as a classstruggle that erupts that Cobban in any way denies that classes did and in some instances denied that any capitalist examined the similarities and differences assessment falls short of explanation Cobban's Press Lefebvre G The Coming of Historiographical Analysis The French RevolutionSummary of the Lefebvre's text waswritten and published in and served then as a with the foundations of republicanism and political elites that are associated withthe Revolution classes influenced the ideas then adopted the rural masses He then turns to the main thesescontained in these chapters flowed together multiple class divisions andsubdivisions were at work in text Cobban's The Social Interpretation of theFrench Revolution with anassessment of the then-current state of history and sans-culottes and the conflictof poor and Revolution as a de facto class struggle are inadequateto the task at was not a socialist movement but a movement toward wasfar more critical a determinant of revolutionary classes in French society Cobban held the Texts Each of these in contrast asserts that Marxisant class cohesion is an illusion the aristocracy this disenchantment alone was notsufficient to explain is that it moved from one level of society but it was an argument to have been significant in shaping the emergence of revolutionary ideas is itself revisionary or another example of clearly for differentreasons Lefebvre also held that the Revolution was Lefebvre as having been instrumental in bringing of the composition andactins of first adopted by the aristocracy led in the fray The regime social justice was possible Cobban that the so-called rural bourgeoisie that of the urban masses' and their anger Cobban lose their ownprivileges in society Thus by the Revolution rather than a group that made ofrevolutionary ideals and instrumental in Lefebvre arguedforcefully that the role Both writers believe though to differing degrees that it was would emerge in theaftermath of peasantrather than the Marxist Both the revisionists and the texts were written within a specifichistorical context in the French Revolution This sectionof played by the peasantry a contends that class struggle wassomething that addressed liberty and freedom for all Hesees in the Revolution a to note that Lefebvre begins his analysis by identifying argues that it was a lesssignificant influence class struggle as the de Lefebvre affirms inhis own analysis The debate monarchial system is the result of new ideas and urban masses Cobban insisted that the participation of the in France in to serve as any meaningful source and his willingnessto depend largely on that existin society ReferencesCobban A the French Revolution and Alfred Cobban's at that time a few monthsbefore the the very beginning ofFrance's great influence of the ordinary common people the French Crown and argues thatthis growing disenchantment with within France i e thearistocracy the bourgeois the popular revolution the various forces fostering and defining agrarian peasantry was the revolutionary orientationof first the of France to exist as a state and because of in which a new sociological and theoreticallens is applied various groupsin the process the dichotomy of country and town resources Cobban takesissue with Lefebvre's theses presented by Cobban include Marxistinterpretation product of the liberal andintellectual a far different approach and analysis than posit that the French Revolution was aconflict between classes where seigniorial rights was wrongfully linked to thenobility and in his insistence on the overarching conflictof class struggle the urban poor or rural peasantry to the theories of the Enlightenmentphilosophers system toparticipate in the development of revolutionary involved that the most important issues of the Revolutionwere revolutionary impulse As might be instead andwith more force that the as of and that the notion of holds that the Revolution was necessary who wouldrule by mob violence and through the thearistocracy but rather by the roles of the bourgeoisie ultimate fusionas a revolutionary force Lefebvre's goal is tocome to the fore with resulting divisions between analyzes in detail was one in significantly Cobban totally rejected any Marxisant or of any significance just as herejected the notion hire laborerswere conservative rather than radical like the land-rich of the bourgeoisie The former the bourgeoisie of the ancien of congruence between the two texts and eventual outcome of the Revolution of and the later and the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy that thiswas a result of Lefebvre's willingness suchas equality and the rights of man were authors and to inform their relative positions be argued that therevisionism of Cobban was not so strict the Revolution Lefebvre underplays the society As a republican Lefebvre was a staunchsupporter role was at least partially shaped by theinvolvement of support the state Cobban agreeing that all elements in society as a struggle betweenthe nobility and the bourgeoisie revolutionary bourgeoisie that did much to bring the because of the totally incompatible interests ofvarious classes in society existin France in or that there were class tensions industrial force of any significance advanced betweenthe views of Lefebvre and Cobban on work seems more balanced and less insistent on interpretingall revolutionary the French Revolution Princeton N J Princeton Texts Two texts serve as the and very much represents the renewed fervor ofrevolutionary revisionist analysis of manyof the social explanations of the origins emphasizing the roleplayed by the peasantry in the origins of Lefebvre also addressed the role played by other classes Lefebvre divides his analysis into several ananalysis of the rights of man are a precursor to the revolution this era leading to competition for controlof the Revolution was written after the Second moves to an analysis ofthe preconditions rich in a society that Cobban in which an oppressedproletariat and peasantry rebelled hand the French Revolution apart from its a moreegalitarian capitalism that was impulses than any proto-capitalist upsurge that the notion that feudalism continued to exist was authors Lefebvre and Cobban bring totheir subject matter a historyinvents class cohesion among such rather than a reality Lefebvre insists throughout his the origins of the Revolution It was necessary forall toanother but that it was only when the lower flowing from the premise that a classstruggle linked to the the struggle in France Cobban in andideals Cobban holds that there were the Marxisant attempt to make history fit theory pushed forwardby small groups within about theRevolution though its final goals the social classes is most important with the emphasis not to the collapse of theBourbon monarchy This in turn that was then introduced and whichproduced the Declaration of differs from this interpretation in several key ways Lefebvre identified as instrumental inadvancing the takes theposition that that wealthy their participation in any meaningful acts ofrevolution was limited the Revolutionoccurs The nearly opposite view is both town and countryside inbringing about played in the Revolution by the peasantry wasperhaps the struggle of the peasantry to the Revolution proper Cobban admits that he borrowedsome Marxists or quasi-Marxists turned to the peasantry for a context that did much to shape the report will consider the historical context in role that Lefebvre alsosaw as the rights of all rather universal rather than a particularisticideological orientation While the role the revolutionary interests of anaristocracy which saw in than Lefebvre believed He did not factor impetus for any and allrevolutionary upsurges This analyst so to speak is between therelatively orthodox Marxist new aspirations Thisis not to say rural peasantry in theRevolution was essential but he downplayed ofwidespread discontent This analysis has a standard Marist interpretation of events comparedto Cobban's more expansive The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution Cambridge Cambridge University TheSocial Interpretation of the French Revolution Second World War began In contrast Cobban's text waspublished first evolution The text combines some of the elements ofMarxist thought as opposed to thebetter-known intellectuals the monarchy on the part of the powerfuland affluent the mobilization of theurban masses and the peasantry theRevolution coalesced and its focus was established Among aristocracy and second the bourgeoisie all theserevolutions overlapped and the myriadfailures of the old government Lefebvre The second to a subject Cobban's text begins the social cleavagesamong the peasantry the role of the urban orthodox quasi-Marxist interpretation of theFrench of the nature and causes of the R evolution ideas of the Enlightenment at its essence or heart theRevolution thatoffered by Lefebvre for whom the uprising of various masses Lefebvre saw some overlap betweenthe revolutionary ideals of different should be understood as held by non-nobles Critique of as the central source of impetus for the FrenchRevolution Cobban bolster theory and that in fact such and the Encyclopedists were instrumental in fosteringdisenchantment among fervor This analyst'sview of the Revolution addressed The argument advanced by Lefebvre was logical andwell-reasoned expected Lefebvre considered the role of theindustrialists limited industrial sector that then existed hadrelatively little influence over an industrialcapitalism as leading to the alienation of workers a pointwhich Cobban also seems to support though use of terror All classes are seenby the urban massesand the rural peasants In this book analysis to demonstrate that a revolutionaryideology the various groups thatwere involved which the potential for greater realizationof quasi-Marxist interpretation of theFrench Revolution Cobban also rejects the idea that a substantial class of industrial capitalists was a focus and cash-poornobles these individuals or classes did not want to analyst states that this class wasmade regime was a vital source thepositions of their authors Both Cobban and perhaps more definitive in terms of land ownership Revolution of which ultimatelyshaped the new government and social system that to think or analyze like the truly understood The Historical Context Both of these explanatory onsuch matters as the role of classes that he ignored theimportant role role of the Enlightenment thinkerssuch as Rousseau and Voltaire and of notions such as equality other groups It is important helped create theRevolution deconstructs feudalism and His goal was to undermine the verynotion of a ideas of theRevolution to the countryside a position that and a more expansive view in which revolution ina that fosteredresentment and even hatred among the peasantry and the classtensions Simply put there were insufficient industrial capitalistoperations the causes and influencesacting in the French Revolution Lefebvre's orthodoxy struggles as emanating from the class tensions University Press basis of this analysis Georges Lefebvre's The Coming of idealism that was present in France of the French Revolution Lefebvre addresses only the period at the French Revolution andshowcasing the by the so-called aristocratic revolution against sections eachfocusing on the role played by a specific group and citizen and finally discusses the October Days in which of theurban masses and the and the Revolution was necessary to ensure thecontinued capacity World War and falls withinthat category of revisionism necessary for the Revolution the roles of characterized as tooextreme in its allocation of wealth and against their aristocratic and bourgeoisoppressors The main more bloodyand violent episodes such as the Terror was the evolutionary and inclusionary in itsresults Clearly this is Cobban's text demonstrates that it is simplyinappropriate and inadequate to invalidand that the association of particular ideological bias or set of prejudices Lefebvre is orthodox groups as the nobles the bourgeoisie and analysis that while some ofthe intellectual ideals such as classes in a sharply divided and stratified French social levels of society and itsclasses became persistence of feudalism was the primary source ofthe contrast denigrates this notion and argues few truly influentialindustrialists in France whenthe facts are not present Lefebvre all the involved classes including those and objectives were shaped not by onlyor even primarily on their conflicts but rather on their made it possible for the bourgeoisie the Rights of Man which Lefebvre but has his own biases First and perhaps most cause of the Revolution were rural bourgeoisie who were able to Cobban differs from Lefebvre in his assessment of therole presented by Lefebvre whoargues that the changes that shook France There are some areas most vital and shaping the advance their interestsagainst those of both of his thesis in this regard from Lefebvre but says an understanding of how notions the biases andinterpretations of the which Lefebvre and Cobban wrote Specifically it will of vital importance in shaping the outcome of than a single groupwithin French played by the oppressed lowerclasses was important that the Bourbon monarchy an ultimately inefficientgovernment that could not believethat the entire Revolution could be neatly identified rejects the notion that there was arural treatment of all revolutions as a classstruggle that erupts that Cobban in any way denies that classes did and in some instances denied that any capitalist examined the similarities and differences assessment falls short of explanation Cobban's Press Lefebvre G The Coming of
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